Uber is moving forward with a new surcharge to help London drivers move to an all-electric vehicle.
Starting early next year, Uber will begin charging riders 15 pence per mile on every trip booked in London. One penny of that will go to drivers to help them buy electric cars, according to CNBC, which earlier reported on the move. Overall, Uber expects to raise £200 million ($260 million) through the charge and ultimately give drivers £1,500 ($1,946) to drivers each year.
Uber’s surcharge is part of a broader effort by the company to address air pollution in London. Uber has a slew of drivers making their way around the city, but few have electric cars. Changing its footprint to electric cars could ultimately help London and from a gas-savings perspective, help to reduce costs for its drivers.
Still, Uber cautioned this can’t—and won’t—happen overnight. The company has currently pegged a target date of 2025 for it to move entirely to all-electric cars. According to CNBC, Uber anticipates having 20,000 drivers upgraded to electric cars by 2021. That’s a little less than half the 45,000 drivers currently in the city.
In addition to supporting drivers, Uber plans to use the cash to fund other initiatives in London aimed at improving the environment.
